Mark Atteberry Reviews

Added May 25, 2006

10 Dumbest Things Christians Do

Author: Mark Atteberry
Publisher: Nelson Books, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: July 11, 2006
Genre: Nonfiction: Christian Living
Format: Trade Paper
Price: $13.99
ISBN: 0-7852-1148-9
Author Email/Website: www.markatteberry.net/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Opening this book may be like looking in a mirror! Pastor Mark Atteberry identifies ten areas in which believers are giving Christianity a black eye. Although these mistakes are often unintentional, they are all avoidable But first, they need to be seen for what they are. These pages do that in a refreshingly candid way.

No one would deliberately sling mud on the Bride of Christ, but seemingly normal actions can become weapons of destruction. Church hopping, living below the level of our beliefs, and fighting among ourselves make Christians look hypocritical and more significantly, make Christ seem powerless. These situations appear to be happening on a regular basis because inappropriate mindsets have gained a stronghold in the local church. Recognizing these errors will go a long way in rectifying these mistakes.

This book is the perfect combination of exhortation and encouragement. The author delivers some stinging rebukes about the current crisis in today's churches, but the truth is wrapped in layers of love and humor. At one moment he is a pastor speaking to a wayward sheep, but at the next moment he sits alongside the reader as a fellow believer, candidly admitting that he is guilty of some of these mistakes. This voice of a man who wears a halo in his humanity carries authority and honesty, and is impossible to ignore.

Each situation is analyzed through a sharp spiritual lens, allowing readers to see the fallacy of certain thoughts and behaviors that have entered the church. Most noteworthy is the fact that these dumb moves are made by well meaning but misguided believers. In other words, regular people like those reading this book. Yet, the author doesn't condemn or cast anyone away. Instead, he reaches through the pages, dusts the dirt off, and spins the reader around in the right direction. Now that's smart writing.

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